6.22.19 Pennsylvania Sprint Series Results
By: Frank Buhrman
Defending PA Sprint Series Champion Zach Newlin held off a determined last-lap effort by rookie Jake Frye and claimed the victory in Saturday’s PASS/IMCA feature race at BAPS Motor Speedway.
The win was his third this season with PASS, following seven in 2018, and it was his second at BAPS.
Newlin (Millerstown; Smith Concrete & Construction/Heather Sims Realtor/Newport VFW #11Z) lead the 20-lapper all the way, but to do so, he had to edge fellow front-row starter Dominic Melair (Warrington; Glen Del Labradors #55) after the two battled side by side for most of the race’s opening lap, and then he had to withstand the efforts of teenager Frye (Lewisberry; Shope’s Landscape Maintenance/MaCarthy Tire & Auto/RS Mechanical Services #56), running the most impressive start of his young PASS career.
Frye, who started fourth, passed Melair for second on lap 5, then actually closed on the veteran Newlin in traffic over the last half of the race before trying a slide job going into the third turn on the final lap – Newlin’s high-line momentum carried him out of the fourth turn in front, and Frye finished on his bumper.
Melair, also posting his best finish in a brief PASS career, held on for third, with Cale Reigle (Newport; Don’s Performance Corner/Holly’s Outdoor Solutions #99) taking fourth, and another teenager, Landon Price (Fleetwood; Steak-Umm/Swavley’s Lawn & Turf/Givlar’s Trailer Sales #69), matching his career best PASS finish in fifth.
Rounding out the Top 10 were Keith Prutzman (Hamburg; Buck Rubs Gentlemen’s Club/McKeansburg Bar & Restaurant #28), Devin Adams (Lebanon; Fredericksburg Eagle Hotel/Adams Auto Sales/Garden Spot Auto Auction #99A), Kyle Ganoe (Thompsontown; Leisters Garage/DMY Engines/Norlin Warehousing #0), Dave Grube (York Haven; Spearhead Rentals/MAN Contracting/Chiropractic Athletic #3D) and Doug Dodson (Middletown; PowerMist Racing Fuels/Crockett Log Homes/Fastener Specialties #20).
Heat races for the 20-car field were won by Donnie Hendershot (Clear Spring, Md.; Hendershot Siding/Hendershot Farms #31) and Jaremi Hanson (Dillsburg; Ort Signs #36).
The Artwerks Hard Charger Award went to Devin Adams. Adams and John Walp (Wapwallopen; GMS Piling Products LLC/La Napoli II Pizza/Dotzel Trucking #5), but Adams’ higher finishing position broke the tie.
Next Saturday, the PASS/IMCA sprinters return to Path Valley Speedway, where they join the Wingless Super Sportsman cars, 270 and 600cc micro sprints, 4-cylinder thunder cars and 4-cylinder strictly stocks on the fast quarter mile. On Sunday, PASS/IMCA joins the 410 sprinters at Selinsgrove Speedway for a PA Sprint Speedweek show.
Pit Notes – This week’s feature ran nonstop. With all four RaceSaver groups that hold races in Pennsylvania in action Saturday, the car count was down from earlier BAPS shows. Racers John Walp, Kirsten Hess (Loysville; JCM & Son Excavating/Little’s Catering/Wolfe’s Polishing & Detailing #44K) and Billy Ney (Reading; Pagoda Realty/Zero Gravity Designs/McFarland Business Systems #83) held a meet & greet session for fans before the racing; unfortunately for Ney, who won his first feature at BAPS last season, his car encountered problems during warm-ups and was done for the night. The Hard Charger Award is perhaps unique when sponsored by John Jacobs of Artwerks: the winner receives a scale model of his or her own racer.
Results from BAPS Motor Speedway, June 22, 2019
HEAT 1 – 1. 31-Donnie Hendershot; 2. 69-Landon Price; 3. 0-Kyle Ganoe; 4. 99-Cale Reigle; 5. 11Z-Zach Newlin; 6. 99A-Devin Adams; 7. 20-Doug Dodson; 8. 69K-Kassidy Kreitz; 9. 2-Erin Statler. DNS – 83-Billy Ney.
HEAT 2 – 1. 36-Jaremi Hanson; 2. 55-Dominic Melair; 3. 56-Jake Frye; 4. 8-Nick Sweigart; 5. 28-Keith Prutzman; 6. 3D-Dave Grube; 7. 44K-Kirsten Hess; 8. 5-John Walp; 9. 17K-Kyle Keen; 10. 55B-Rick Romig.
FEATURE – 1. 11Z-Zach Newlin; 2. 56-Jake Frye; 3. 55-Dominic Melair; 4. 99-Cale Reigle; 5. 69-Landon Price; 6. 28-Keith Prutzman; 7. 99A-Devin Adams; 8. 0-Kyle Ganoe; 9. 3D-Dave Grube; 10. 20-Doug Dodson; 11. 31-Donnie Hendershot; 12. 5-John Walp; 13. 69K-Kassidy Kreitz; 14. 8-Nick Sweigart; 15. 36-Jaremi Hanson; 16. 44K-Kirsten Hess; 17. 2-Erin Statler; 18. 55B-Rick Romig; 19. 17K-Kyle Keen. DNS – 83-Billy Ney.